Baku, Sept 28 (AZERTAC). UNHCR's annual governing body meeting starts next week in Geneva (October 1-5). The 63rd annual session of UNHCR's governing body, the Executive Committee, begins this coming Monday, October 1st, in the Assembly Hall of the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The Executive Committee, comprising 87 states this year, reviews global and regional refugee protection issues and endorses UNHCR's annual programmes and budgets.

The Chairman of the Executive Committee, Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN Ambassador Jan Knutsson, will open the five-day meeting at 10 a.m. on Monday. The Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin will deliver a keynote speech, followed by the address of High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres.

A press release covering the High Commissioner's opening remarks will be issued on Monday morning. Speeches will be available on UNHCR's website www.unhcr.org. All addresses on Monday morning are open to accredited Palais-based media.

From 2-5 October, the Executive Committee session will take place in Room XIX.

Our annual report on international refugee protection - a global review of refugee and asylum challenges and achievements - will be presented on Wednesday afternoon by Assistant High Commissioner for Protection Erika Feller. A separate press release will be issued on her report.

UNHCR's revised annual budget for 2013 of US$ 3.92 billion will be presented on Thursday, 4 October.

Throughout next week's meeting of the Executive Committee, a number of side events looking into specific issues and operations will be held in room XXIII. Among these, Norway and Switzerland will launch a new state-led initiative on climate change and displacement called the Nansen Initiative.

It is pertinent here to mention that Azerbaijan has become a member of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee as a result of the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) voting.

To this end, High Commissioner Antonio Guterres has sent a congratulatory letter to the Azerbaijani government expressing his satisfaction with the relevant success. The UNHCR official hailed Azerbaijan`s interest and commitment towards search of ways for the custody of the refugees and to address their plight, the admission to its territory of refugees and asylum seekers in accordance with the obligations of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, the partner of which the country is since 1993, and the Protocol of 1967 as well. The High Commissioner also underlined that he will welcome Azerbaijan as a new member at the next meeting of the Standing Committee, which will be held on June 26-28, and at the plenary meeting of the Executive Committee on October 1-5.

UNHCR representative in Azerbaijan Dag Sigurdson also congratulated the Azerbaijani government in connection with such a significant event. He described the relevant success as an indicator of high appreciation of the Azerbaijani government`s efforts towards solution of refugees`s problems. The letter stresses that Azerbaijan`s membership will create an opportunity for the country to be more active participant of decision-making process related with the resolution of refugees` and IDPs` problems in the world.

The UNHCR representative in Azerbaijan offered technical and advisory support to the Azerbaijani government in connection with the preparation of and participation in the annual meetings of the Standing and Executive Committees.